Do I lose flexibility by using Genesis Framework?

[fastpenguin91]

Hi,

So I'm having a hard time. I want to build a freelancing business with PHP, and WordPress. I haven't got any clients yet, but I know some basic PHP skills along with html/css, and I would like to develop my skills as I work and gain clients.

My problem is when I look at the code in a Genesis theme I'm very confused. When I go into the index.php file there is practically nothing there. All I get is a little genesis() function which is tucked away in lib/framework.php.

When I look in the header.php file everything is hidden again, inside functions like genesis_header, genesis_after_header, etc...
I've managed to find some of these functions in various places, but I'm a little nervous about buying the entire collection of themes.

I know I might need some examples explaining what I'm trying to do, but I'm just sort of trying to mess around with the sample theme and see if I would be able to customize a theme to make a client happy.

When I look at NON-Genesis themes it's easier for me to figure out what to do and I feel more confident in being able to customize things. Am I going to lose flexibility as a developer by using the Genesis Framework? I want to actually dig into code and be able to make changes like adding extra menus, move things around, etc...

I'm not trying to talk down Genesis, i've just seen a lot of good reviews about it, but after playing around with it I'm not sure I'm confident in my ability to use Genesis to make customizations beyond design...

Have you successfully used the Genesis Framework in web development for clients? I'm assuming my hesitation is just because learning a new framework takes time. Looking forward to hearing from any of you.

[Victor Font]

Not sure where my reply disappeared to, but I'll try posting it again. Sorry if this is a duplicate.

The Genesis Framework hasn't become the #1 professional framework because people aren't able to build their businesses with it. My business is doing well and I've been using the Genesis framework exclusively for the past several years. I've built some incredibly complex sites using the framework. Take a look at http://cobinlaw.com/ for an example. If there's a site I have that isn't built upon Genesis, it means I've inherited it from some other developer.

All customizations are made in the child theme. Never change anything in the framework itself. There are many, many tutorials and code examples on the web for building custom sites with the Genesis Framework. You can start with Nick the Geek: http://designsbynickthegeek.com/tutorials/genesis-explained-two. Brad Dalton, a regular contributor to this forum, has excellent code examples, http://wpsites.net/. Carrie Dils has another popular site: http://www.carriedils.com/. I also have plenty of code snippets and tutorials on my site: http://victorfont.com/. These should be able to get you started, but if search, you'll find tons more.

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Regards,

Victor
https://victorfont.com/
Call us toll free: 844-VIC-FONT (842-3668)
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